Chapter 108 Her second brother's darling is quite unusual! ...
Wei Qing was the eldest son of a concubine in the Wei family. After the death of his favored birth mother, he, a thorn in the side of his legal mother, was in even greater danger. Just then, the northern kingdom invaded, and Youzhou recruited soldiers on a large scale. Wei Qing signed up by chance.
Regardless of the "secrets" behind the registration, he went to the battlefield. He fought his way out through his own abilities, and year after year, he accumulated a lot of military merits, rose through the ranks step by step, and finally successfully filled the vacancy after the old commander of the Xuanxiao Cavalry Beitun retired.
The family situations of military officers were almost always openly discussed. After all, when they gathered for casual chats after meals, they couldn't talk about music, chess, calligraphy, or painting; they could only talk about other things.
For example, when Feng Feng first showed his talent, a minor official "selected a son-in-law from among the successful candidates" and married his daughter to him, thus betting on this promising talent.
Bai Jianping's wife was a herb gatherer. At that time, he was not yet a village head. He went into the mountains with the army to suppress bandits. Due to a miscalculation by his superiors, he fell into an enemy trap and fell off a cliff, where he was found by the herb gatherer. Later, he pursued her relentlessly until she married him. After their marriage, they had three daughters, and he did not take concubines or try to have a son even after he became wealthy.
As for Wei Qing, his first wife was his cousin.
Wei Qing stood there, stunned—no, not just stunned, but completely bewildered.
In his mind, even if the lord was not looking for him to settle scores with the Wei family, he was just giving him a secret mission. But he never expected that the lord would ask him about his family affairs.
The question was still about his experiences with his wife.
Wei Qing wasn't surprised at all if Mo Yanyun or anyone else asked him this.
Only Qin Shaozong.
Lord Jun has never cared about the people in their room, never inquired about them, and never interfered.
Wei Qing stood there, and Qin Shaozong didn't urge him, but just played with the tiger-shaped pen rest in his palm.
When the small pen rest was turned over for the third time, Wei Qing, who was not far away, came back to his senses.
"...At that time, my family went through some changes, and my aunt did not want her to marry me, so she arranged for her to meet another cousin of hers." The "family" that Wei Qing mentioned was not the Wei family, but his and his birth mother's small family.
Qin Shaozong stopped stroking the pen rest. "She's taken a fancy to another cousin?"
While marriage is arranged by parents and matchmakers, if it is a marriage between relatives, it is essential to introduce the younger generation to each other.
Wei Qing lowered his head slightly.
Upon seeing his expression, Qin Shaozong knew that it was almost certainly true.
“At the time, I wasn’t her best choice, and I was going to join the army soon, so there was no reason to hold her back. Later, I followed you and made great achievements, and I was no longer the same as before, so I… took her back.” Wei Qing secretly observed his superior’s expression.
Stealing another man's wife is, to put it mildly, dishonorable.
Unfortunately, there were two people in the house who did this extremely disgraceful thing.
Qin Shaozong straightened his spine slightly, unlike his previous languid demeanor. "What happened next?"
Wei Qing then recounted the general course of events, including how he planned and acted beforehand, sending someone to thoroughly investigate his wife's ex-husband, finding a woman who appeared in the guise of his former lover, and captivating the man so that he intended to divorce his wife.
Wei Qing would never have spoken of such a thing if it were anyone else, because it was too sordid. But since there was a like-minded person nearby, he was in trouble.
Lord Jun has always been unconventional in his military campaigns, focusing solely on the final results. Whether he will ultimately be even more despicable than Jun Jun himself is hard to say.
"...In short, first force her into marriage, then cherish her, give her whatever she likes, and have one or two more children. Women all care about their children, some even valuing them more than their husbands. Being good to the children can sometimes make her happier than if she had a baby herself. Over time, she will naturally stop missing out on the past," Wei Qing concluded.
Qin Shaozong's eyes darkened. "I understand."
After Wei Qing left, Qin Shaozong sat behind his desk for a long time. The man picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote three characters on the mulberry paper spread out on the desk.
Looking at the name, the man's eyes were dark and unfathomable.
*
When Dai Li last met Wei Cheng, she only sat for a short while before leaving. Later, Qin Shaozong said that the other party had arranged to meet again, and Dai Li thought it was just a casual polite remark, but unexpectedly, the invitation card was sent over again.
It was still given to her.
"Let her come. After all, she's Qinian's aunt. It wouldn't be right to refuse her," Qin Hongying said, looking at the visiting card.
Dai Li picked up her pen and began to write.
Qin Hongying was talking to her from the side, and Dai Li was responding while writing a reply. Before she knew it, she had written two simplified Chinese characters.
"What is this character?" Qin Hongying had just asked when she watched as Dai Li erased it and then casually picked up a new piece of paper.
Qin Hongying: "..."
“Hongying, you said you were a great rider, could you teach me how to ride?” Dai Li changed the subject.
She hadn't thought riding horses was important before, but after that escape, she suddenly realized that this skill was quite useful in ancient times.
After returning from Bai Ri City, Zhou Zhou's Gu poison had left her overwhelmed. Now that everything seemed to be going smoothly, she could free up some energy to plan for the future.
Qin Hongying chuckled, "You're quite an interesting person."
Even when caught red-handed, she remained calm and naturally changed the subject. Was it because she was experienced, having been caught by her second brother so many times in the past?
During her two-day stay at the mansion, Qin Hongying learned a little about Dai Li. She was amazed when she first heard about her, and inexplicably understood her second brother's persistence.
Even disregarding Dai Li's beautiful appearance, her presence alone is enough for her second brother to keep her by his side.
"Okay, I'll teach you another day," Qin Hongying agreed.
After the reply was sent, Wei Cheng visited again the following day.
Just like last time, she seemed worried that Qin Qinian might lack food and clothing here, so she brought generous gifts when she visited.
But unlike last time, she didn't come alone; she was accompanied by a strikingly beautiful young woman.
The other woman wore her hair in a traditional Chinese updo, a mica-colored long dress, and simple attire, except for a delicate jade hairpin carved with orchids on her head and a white jade bracelet on her fair wrist.
The beautiful woman had clear, bright eyes and delicate, willow-leaf eyebrows. Her brows were slightly furrowed, giving her a gentle and pitiful air.
Qin Qinian came to the side gate to pick up the person as before, but when he saw another person getting off the carriage, he was stunned. He took a second look and felt that the woman was somewhat familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere before.
After exchanging greetings with Wei Cheng, Qin Qinian asked, "Aunt, did you come here with friends?"
"What nonsense are you talking about, child? This is your Aunt Pingzhi," Wei Cheng scolded.
Seeing Qin Qinian's surprised expression, she smiled and said, "After your sister passed away, your maternal grandfather and your father made an agreement that Pingzhi would take care of you and your father. Now that your brother-in-law is injured, how can Pingzhi be absent?"
After the other party mentioned it, Qin Qinian remembered.
This is Li Ji!
Qin Qinian's mind was in a mess, and he felt that something was wrong, but with his elders in front of him, and both of them being his aunts, he couldn't very well say, "Why did you bring people out of the Marquis's mansion directly?"
The boy scratched his head. "Auntie, please come in first. Aunt and Madam Dai are already in the main hall."
Wei Cheng's expression changed drastically. "Your aunt is back?"
Yuyang County is so large that countless caravans come and go every day. A few days ago, I heard that a cavalry unit escorted a carriage into the Qin residence, but the people inside the carriage are unknown.
The father guessed that it might be Nalan Zhina or other strategists who had previously followed the army south, but had returned a step behind and came to visit their lord.
But now, Qin Hongying is actually in that car.
Qin Qinian nodded, "My aunt and cousin are coming back to visit my father and will stay at the mansion for a while."
Wei Cheng's thoughts raced, and finally he looked at Wei Pingzhi, who had remained silent to the side. He thought to himself, "Could Qin Hongying, as the younger sister, really have her hands in her brother's backyard? There's no way she would do that."
Father is right. Marquis Wu'an has made his intention to remarry public, from instructing the Cai family to exert pressure to moving all the concubines out of the mansion.
He seemed determined to get married. And the Wei family absolutely could not sit idly by and wait for their doom!
After all, the title of "Madam of the Marquis's Mansion" is not just a title, but also involves the power shift in Yuyang and even the entire northern region.
It can be said that the extent of Marquis Wu'an's future power will determine the depth of his influence. How could the Wei family, who have enjoyed the fruits of their labor in the past, simply hand over the spoils to others?
As they entered the front courtyard, Wei Cheng whispered to his half-sister beside him, "Nowhere else is a place for you to stay, understand?"
Wei Pingzhi nodded with her delicate brows furrowed. "I understand."
Qin Hongying and Dai Li were already in the main hall when they saw Wei Cheng and a strange woman coming together. Dai Li's brow twitched slightly, and she had a feeling that today's meeting was probably not going to follow the usual procedure.
"It's been several years, Wei Wu, you've really changed a lot." Qin Hongying looked Wei Cheng up and down.
Both of them were legitimate daughters, and the Qin and Wei families were prominent clans in Yuyang. Before the young lady was married, the two of them would inevitably hang out together.
Qin Hongying didn't like Wei Cheng very much. Actually, she didn't have much of a problem with Wei Cheng herself. It was mainly because the Wei family took advantage of the situation back then and acted too arrogantly.
From then on, she felt quite indifferent towards the Wei family. As for now, well, her second brother had entrusted her with this matter…
Wei Cheng smiled and exchanged pleasantries with her, praising her, "You haven't changed at all. Even after having three children, you look just as good as you did back then, and your temperament is even better than before."
"You've really changed a lot. You never used to talk so glibly," Qin Hongying said with a smile, turning her gaze to Wei Pingzhi and keenly finding a resemblance between the two.
She narrowed her eyes, a slightly sharp curve appearing at the corners. "You, Wei Wu, really have quite the grand entrance. You brought so many maids with you here. Are you afraid that there won't be anyone in your household to serve you?"
“Wei Wu, you can rest assured. My second brother was worried that his darling was not being well taken care of, so he specially transferred a large number of maids from the Marquis’s mansion. In addition, he also bought servants from other places. Alas, now the whole mansion is full of people, so many that there is almost no room to stand.”
Dai Li was originally sitting to the side, acting as a decorative vase.
Today, with Qin Shaozong's sister present, she consciously placed herself in a supporting role.
The moment the two sides met, upon hearing Qin Hongying and Wei Cheng's conversation, she realized she didn't need any help. Qin Hongying could handle things perfectly well on her own, and she could slack off as much as she wanted.
Before she could even make two strokes in the water, she was struck by Qin Hongying's words, "His heart is so sweet."
Dai Li's lips twitched, and she tried her best to resist the urge to turn her head to look at Qin Hongying, continuing to wear a polite smile.
The woman who came in with Wei Cheng wasn't introduced, but Dai Li thought her identity wasn't hard to guess. Not only did Qin Qinian frequently glance at her, seemingly wanting to say something but also because she and Wei Cheng shared a somewhat similar nose.
A subtle gaze came from below. As Dai Li approached, the other person lowered their eyes to avoid her gaze.
Dai Li could only see the other person obediently lowering their head, their two thin eyebrows slightly furrowed, like a small white flower that could not withstand the wind and rain.
Dai Li: "..."
Qin Hongying, who was talking to Wei Cheng, waved her hand and said, "So you don't need your servants here. Let the two of them go out and wait for you. I guarantee that after they go out, you'll have plenty of servants at your beck and call."
Wei Cheng's eyes sharpened as she realized that the other party hadn't "played right into her hands" but had clearly noticed Wei Pingzhi's identity. Instead, they didn't give her a chance to introduce herself and directly treated her like a servant, driving her out.
But was she an ordinary maid?
The Wei family went to great lengths to find out where Wei Pingzhi lived after being moved out of the Marquis's mansion, so they didn't just let her stay in the Qin mansion for less than a quarter of an hour before kicking her out.
“Hey, Hongying, it’s normal that you haven’t met her and don’t recognize my sister. Back then, Pingzhi almost became your second sister-in-law. It was only because my brother-in-law cared about my sister and didn’t want someone else to take her place as his wife that he only took her as a concubine and had her come to the mansion to take care of Qinian,” Wei Cheng said with a smile.
She's just laying everything out in the open.
Qin Hongying frowned almost imperceptibly.
The next moment, she heard someone on the other end say, "Back then, my brother-in-law promised the Wei family that he would only marry women from the Wei family in the future. For the past fifteen years, he has kept his promise and never broken it. Now that he is wounded on the battlefield, how can I, as a woman from the Wei family in his harem, remain unharmed?"
The pronunciation of the eight characters “信守承诺，不曾食言” was slightly emphasized.
Qin Hongying's gaze turned cold.
Dai Li sat at the head of the table. After seeing Wei Cheng's words, it was as if a gust of wind blew by, causing the little white flower below to slightly raise its head.
The other person timidly peeked at her, and when discovered, he lowered his head as if startled.
Dai Li was quite curious. Judging from Wei Pingzhi's appearance, she was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. Born into a wealthy family, her actual age should be older. It was astonishing that a young woman of this age was so timid even when receiving ordinary guests.
Was this intentional, or was it because they had always been confined to their tiny backyard and had never seen many people before?
As for the former, Qin Shaozong himself isn't here, so even if she cried on the spot, he wouldn't see it.
Speaking of the latter, the Wei family definitely had more than one illegitimate daughter. Back then, Wei Pingzhi was able to stand out from all the illegitimate daughters, which must have been due to more than just her beauty.
Logically speaking, if she's planning to take over as the matriarch, there's no reason she wouldn't know how to behave when receiving guests.
Could it be that it was meant for her?
Dai Li's pupils trembled slightly, as if she had understood.
While Dai Li was sizing up Wei Pingzhi, Qin Hongying also spared some attention to observe Dai Li.
Upon seeing this, he was greatly shocked; this was no small matter.
Her second brother is quite unusual!
An ordinary young woman and her husband are enjoying a blissful marriage when she suddenly discovers her husband's former concubines. Moreover, she is told by others that this concubine, who has now come to her door, almost became her husband's legal wife back then. In addition, the concubine intends to stay. No matter how you look at it, it is bound to be somewhat jarring.
Unfortunately, this darling only saw a hint of pure curiosity.
A thought flashed through Qin Hongying's mind, and she suddenly understood something.
If my second brother only wanted He Shou Wu and musk, he could have simply sent someone to fetch them; there was no need for his younger sister to come in person.
But the reality was quite the opposite; not only did she come, but her second brother also entrusted her with the task of receiving the Wei family's visit.
Because he clearly knew that Dai Li didn't want to deal with it, and was even worried that she would be tricked by the Wei family and let people into the mansion, so he called her, his younger sister who was far away in another county, back to take the lead.
Qin Hongying was dumbfounded, all her emotions condensed into one sentence: What goes around comes around, no one escapes the judgment of Heaven. Even the arrogant second brother has met his end.
Author's Note: Here I am! [shrug]
Do you think Lao Qin listened to what Wei Qing said?
Please, please provide nutrient solution. [Hands clasped in prayer]
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